Present State-of-the-Art of Rocket Ordnance incorporates a rocket motor which propels a missile containing a desired warhead with such designs isolating the warhead from the rocket motor. The warhead uses explosives such as RDX, PETN, and Octol, while the rocket motor uses double base propellants and composite propellants for the propelling charge.
Inherent with a warhead designed to be separated from the rocket motor in present State-of-the-Art missiles are additional cost, additional complexities, and additional processing and handling procedures. Also, additional components, such as bulkheads between the motor and the warhead, are required for a missile system employing a separable warhead.
For simplicity of design, reduction of costs, improved processing and handling procedures, and elimination of extra component parts, a unitary propellant composition which serves as the propulsion system in flight and which is detonated as a warhead explosive on impact with the target would be a welcomed addition to the rocket ordnance field.
Therefore an object of this invention is to provide a detonatable composition which is both a propellant and a warhead explosive in a single rocket motor case.
Another object of this invention is to provide a propellant grain configured to give a high boost acceleration, a sustaining thrust, and a remaining propellant portion which serves as an explosive warhead on impact.
A further object of this invention is to provide a single rocket motor case loaded with a combination propellant grain and explosive composition having a burning surface progressing towards the head end as the rocket flies to the target with some explosive propellant composition always remaining which serves as the warhead explosive on impact with the target.